Plural article forming mold

ABSTRACT

A TRAY MOLD FOR FREEZE-MOLDING A PLURALITY OF TRIHEDRAL UNITS OF A FOOD SEASONING ADAPTED TO BE UTILIZED TO ASSIST IN FLAVORING FOODS DURING THE COOKING, MARINATING, ETC. THEREOF.

United States Patent [72) Inventor Cyril Hinds Lalayette, La. [2]] Appl.No. 664,698 [22] Filed Aug.31, 1967 [451 Patented June 28, 1971 [73]Assignee 011 Center Research, Inc.

[54] PLURAL ARTICLE FORMING MOLD 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. C1. 249/127, 249/1 19 [51] Int. Cl 1328b 7/06 [50] Field ofSearch 249/119, 127; 99/254 [56] Relerences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS3,317,177 5/1967 Brand 249/119 Primary Examiner-J. AssistantExaminer-Ben Dv Tobor Watson Washbum Sulter Duran McDonald..Over1and....

Topper Liliey Spencer Overholser 249/119X 249/1 19X 249/119XAttorneys-Clarence A. O'Brien and Harvey B. Jacobson ABSTRACT: A traymold for freeze-molding a p1urality of trihedral units of a foodseasoning adapted to be utilized to assist in flavoring foods during thecooking, marinating, etc.

thereof.

PLURAL ARTlCLE FORMING MOLD The present invention relates to a pluralarticle-forming mold for the freeze-molding of trihedral articles Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to the provision of anarticle forming mold for the freeze-molding of trihedral condimentsolutions. suspensions of admixtures for subsequent insertion into foodsto be seasoned. marinated, or tenderized either prior to or duringinitial stages of cooking thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel constructionfor a plural article-forming mold adapted to freeze-mold a plurality oftrihedral articles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novelconstruction for a plural article-forming mold which includes trihedralarticle-forming cavities of varying dimensions.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of anovel method of seasoning, marinating, tenderizing, etc., meat, poultry,fish and the like during cooking thereof by utilization of the trihedralarticles formed in the novel mold of the present invention.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction of thearticle-forming mold and the method of utilization of the articlesformed thereby as more fully hereinafter described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof,wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the trihedralarticle-forming mold constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

HO. 2 is a side elevational view of the article fonning mold of HO. 1;

FlG. 3 is a vertical cross'sectional view of the mold of FIGS. 1 and 2taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a trihedral article formed by freezemolding in the mold of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a plurality of freeze-molded trihedral,meltable, condiment units inserted into an article of food prior tocooking thereof.

Referring now to the drawings and F168. 1, 2 and 3 in particular, itwill be seen that an exemplary embodiment ofa plural article-formingmold constructed in accordance with the present invention is indicatedgenerally at and comprises a body portion 12 formed as by stamping,casting, molding or other suitable means from suitably inert materialssuch as aluminum, stainless steel, relatively rigid polyethylene and thelike. The body portion 12 of the mold 10 is preferably provided with aplurality of mold cavities indicated generally at 14. The mold cavities14 are preferably of varying dimensions, although of substantiallyidentical geometrical configuration, for reasons which will becomereadily apparent hereinafter.

The mold cavities 14 define trihedral cavities particularly adapted forthe freeze-molding of trihedrans such as comprising frozen solutions,suspensions, admixtures, etc. of condiments comprising seasonings,marinades, tenderizers, etc., to be utilized in treating foods by anovel method to be discussed in greater detail hereinafter. Thetrihedral cavities 14 are defined by a downwardly projecting generallyequilateral sided triangular wall 16 depending from and integral withbody portion 12 along one side of the triangular wall 16. Elongatedtriangular complementary sidewall portions 18, each having one of theirlonger generally equilateral sides in integral relation and theirshorter sides integral with the downwardly and inwardly disposed sidesof the bottom wall portion 16 have their other elongated sides integralwith the body portion 12 of the mold 10. It will be thus appreciatedthat the bottom and sidewall portions 16 and 18 respectively define atriangular opening in the body portion 12, which opening is of generallythe same dimension as either of the cavity sidewall portions 18. As bestseen in FIG. 1 the mold cavities 14 are preferably nesting positioned onthe body portion 12. Thus, it will be further apparent that the moldcavities 14 define trihedral cavities suitable for the molding oftrihedrans such as when the mold cavities 14 are substantially filledwith a freezable solution, admixture, suspension as set forthhereinabove. The freezable substance is subsequently subjected to asufficiently low temperature to freeze it into a coherent, relativelyhard trihedran having a relatively sharp point and wherein the trihedranso formed is adapted to release and carry the condiments, etc. containedtherein to substantially all areas of a food or article being treatedthereby. More particularly, a suitable freezable condiment solutionmight, for example, comprise a bouillon.

Referring now in greater detail to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be appreciatedthat trihedrans, such as the trihedrans indicated generally at 20, whichhave been freeze-molded in the mold 10 may be utilized for theflavoring, tenderizing, etc. of an article of food, such as the rolledbeef roast indicated generally at 22. By carefully inserting one or moreof the trihedrans 20 into the roast 22 preferably from the normallyupper side thereof, during initial stages of cooking the trihedrans 20melt and the condiment solution released permeates the tissue of theroast 22 so as to uniformly season, etc. the roast in a manner generallynot possible by external basting of an article such as the roastillustrated. It will be appreciated that the trihedral configuration ofthe articles freeze-molded in the mold 10, and particularly the pointedconfiguration thereof, facilitates their introduction, i.e. penetrationinto an article of food, However, if desired, or necessary, a piercingprobe, such as a metal skewer, for example, may be inserted into thefood article to create a pilot hole to facilitate the insertion of atrihedran 20 formed in accordance with the present invention.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since modifications may occur to those skilledin the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exactconstruction and method of the utilization of the articles formedthereby as shown and described, and accordingly all suitablemodifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within thescope of the invention as claimed.

1 claim:

1. A plural article-forming mold comprising a thin, substantiallyrectangular body portion provided with planar upper and lower surfacesand having a plurality of mold cavities, each of said mold cavitiesdefining a generally right trihedral cavity, each of the trihedralcavities having one side defined by a triangular opening in said'bodyportion, each of said triangular openings having two equilateral sidesof greater length than the third base side of said triangular openings,each of said trihedral mold cavities further including a pair ofdownwardly converging generally triangular mold cavity sidewall portionsintegral with said body portion contiguous with the equilateral sides ofsaid triangular opening, said sidewall portions being of generally thesame dimensions as said triangular opening in said body portion, and agenerally equilaterally sided triangular mold cavity base wall portionintegral with said sidewall portions and said body portion and dependingperpendicularly from said body portion, said mold cavities beingnestingly disposed in said body portion by generally alternating saidtriangular openings to position the base of one triangular openingadjacent the apex of a successive triangular opening, said mold cavitiesbeing spaced from each other to define planar body portions therebetweento prevent connection between adjacent articles when removed from thecavities, said cavities being arranged in three groups arrangedlongitudinally in the body portion, the endmost groups of cavitiesextending transversely across a major portion of the width of the bodyportion, the central group of cavities being substantially smaller andbeing disposed in two parallel rows with the outermost ends of thesmaller cavities being in longitudinal alignment with the outer ends ofthe larger cavities and the innermost ends of the smaller cavities beingdisposed adjacent the longitudinal center line of the body portion, theadjacent edges of the triangular openings defining the longitudinallyinner cavities of the two large groups diverging toward the same side ofthe body portion thereby providing a greater longitudinal spacetherebetween on one side of the center line, the row of smaller cavitiesdisposed in the greater longitudinal space having a greater number ofcavities than the other row with the number of smaller cavities beingequal in number to the larger cavities.

